Tommy and Annika: Christmas Cookies
by Pre-Animation Man
Summary: Tommy finds a way to enjoy his Christmas cookies even after he discovers they can't be eaten


It was the Saturday before Christmas.

Mother and Father were shopping.

One girl with yellow hair with pink headband, wearing a red sweater with holiday pattern, a pink skirt with white lacy, and a sheepakin silp-ons, her name is Annika was making a napkin-holder for Mother.

One boy has a brown hair, wearing red long-sleeved basic shirt with buttons and pocket in it, also a light red reindeer, pattern, and dots all over it, a black silmfit jeans, and a red suede trainer shoes, her name is Tommy was watching the snow fall.

"I was making presents too," said Tommy. "I made a wooden lamp for Father, but it would not stand right. I sawed off one side to get it even. But I sawed off too much. Now it won't stand up at all."

"Why don't you buy presents?" said Annika. "You could use the money you were saving."

"Well, I only had fifty-two cents," said Tommy. "I bought two Slim Jims for twenty cents and a Big Buddy for a nickel. Then I was thirsty, so I got a ten-cent soda. After that I got a Lola Finola Comic. The last two pennies fell out of my pocket. They rolled into a crack on the porch. And now I can't get them out."

"Two cents is not enough for presents anyway," said Annika.

"I know," said Tommy.

"I made Father a clay paperweight," said Annika. "I dried it in my Bake-E-Z oven."

"Maybe I should try to make something else," said Tommy. "If you let me use your Bake-E-Z oven, I could bake some cookies."

"You don't know how to make cookies," said Annika.

"Yes I do," said Tommy. "We learned how at cub scouts. I can make Christmas cookies for Mother and Father. And I will make a special one for you," said Tommy.

"All right," said Annika.

She ran to get her oven.

Tommy tied an apron around his waist.

Then he got the measuring cups, the rolling pin, and the cookie sheets.

"I do like baking cookies," said Tommy. "You don't have to saw cookies. You don't have to worry about getting cookies to stand up. And they are good to eat."

"Here is my Bake-E-Z oven," said Annika. "Remember, you promised to make a special cookie for me."

"I remember," said Tommy. "I will make you a special reindeer cookie."

"Tommy," called Anna, wears a yellow-green turtleneck, a beige round neck cardigan, a black long socks, and a pink clog shoes. "Come on out. Let's have a snowball fight!"

"I can't come out," said Tommy.

"Why not?" asked Anna.

"I am baking cookies now," said Tommy.

"Can I come in?" asked Anna. "Can I lick the bowl and the scraper?"

"I am not making that kind," said Tommy.

"What kind are you making?" asked Anna. "I am making Christmas cookies. The kind you roll out," said Tommy. "I am making stars and angels and bells for Mother, and Christmas trees and Santa Clauses and reindeer for Father."

"You said you would make a reindeer cookie for me," said Annika.

"I know," said Tommy.

"Let me help," said Annika. "It is my oven."

"I will let you and Anna get the flour and the sugar and the butter," said Tommy. "But I will make the cookies by myself."

"All right," said Anna. "Where is the flour?"

"It is next to the glass jar of sugar," said Tommy. Anna took down the glass jar of flour and the jar next to it.

"Now there is nothing for me to do," said Annika.

"You can get the butter," said Tommy.

"All right," said Annika.

Tommy mixed the butter and the sugar in a bowl.

He put the flour in too. Then he added some water, and patted the dough into a large ball.

"Here is Willy," said Annika. "Can she watch you bake cookies?"

"My big sister bakes cookies," said Willy. "She puts in raisins and nuts. And sometimes chocolate chips."

"I like that kind," said Anna. "And I like oatmeal cookies and ginger cookies and the little sandwich cookies with creme in between."

"Well," said Tommy. "I am making plain sugar cookies."

"I like plain sugar cookies," said Anna.

"So do I," said Willy, now wears grey long-sleeve belt motif shirt, a green pinstripe waistcoat, a dark grey classic-cut trousers, and a red loafers shoes.

"Move back, Annika," said Tommy. "I can't roll out the dough without mashing your nose."

"It's Willy," said Annika. "She's pushing."

"You pushed me first," said Willy, "and I'm pushing back."

"Watch out," yelled Tommy. "Now look what you did!" The ball of dough fell on the floor.

It rolled under Anna's foot.

"It's still good," said Anna. "Just a little dirty."

"That does it," said Tommy. "All of you get out."

"Please," said Annika. "We will be nice. If you make us each a special cookie, I will make hot chocolate. And we can have a Before-Christmas Party."

"Can I have a Santa cookie?" asked Anna.

"Me too?" said Willy.

"All right," said Tommy. "But no more pushing!"

Tommy rolled the dough flat. He cut some cookies for Mother and Father and the special cookies too. He made a Christmas tree for himself.

Then he put the cookie sheets in the Bake-E-Z oven.

"Now I will make hot chocolate," said Annika.

"Put some marshmallows in it," said Anna.

"My big sister puts whipped cream in hot chocolate," said Willy. "For Christmas parties, we stir it with candy canes."

"We don't have any candy canes," said Tommy.

"When will the cookies be done?" asked Annika.

They all looked inside the oven.

"The cookies don't look done," said Anna. "They look just like they did when you put them in."

"Well," said Tommy, "I think they will be done by the time the hot chocolate is ready." Tommy got the cups and saucers and spoons.

Then he put a marshmallow in the bottom of each cup. Annika poured the hot chocolate, and the marshmallows floated to the top.

Tommy went to get the cookies. "They look just like they did before," he said. "But they feel hard when I push down on them. So they must be done."

Tommy put the special Santas and the special reindeer cookie and the Christmas tree on a plate.

"Now we can have our Before-Christmas Party," said Annika.

"Anna's Santa fell on the floor," said Willy. "But it did not break."

"How do you know it's my Santa?" asked Anna.

"Because mine is still on the plate," said Willy.

"It's always mine that falls on the floor," said Anna.

Anna took a bite of Santa's hat. "What is the matter with Anna?" said Annika. "Anna's mouth is funny."

"You have to be careful when you eat these cookies," said Anna. "My loose front tooth came out. But I never got a bite of cookie."

Tommy tried to bite into his Christmas tree.

"Something is wrong," he said. "This cookie is as hard as a rock."

"My sister's cookies are never hard," said Willy. "I wish I had one now."

"I don't understand, said Tommy.

"I made the same dough that we made at cub scouts."

"I am licking mine," said Annika. "It tastes salty."

"These are salt cookies!" said Anna.

"They are as hard as rocks." Tommy looked at his cookies.

Then he looked at Anna. Anna said, "I think I gave you the salt instead of the sugar."

"It's not fair!" said Tommy. "My presents never turn out right. My lamp would not stand. My cookies are like rocks. Nothing I make is any good."

He began to cry.

"You cut the cookies right, said Annika. "They look nice."

"You know what?" said Anna. "My mother makes play-clay with flour and salt and water. These cookies are made of flour and salt and water. Tommy has baked clay cookies— clay angels and bells and stars and Christmas trees and Santas."

"I made a clay paperweight," said Annika.

"I am painting it blue."

Tommy stopped crying.

He wiped his eyes and blew his nose.

He drank all of his hot chocolate.

Then he thought for a while.

"Maybe I could still use my cookies," said Tommy. "Maybe I could paint them all different colors."

"You can't eat clay cookies even if they are different colors," said Willy.

"They would not be for eating," said Tommy. "They can be Christmas tree ornaments! Mother and Father can hang them on the tree. They will have my present every Christmas for a long time."

Tommy blew his nose again. Then he got out his paints and the tape and some hooks. Everyone watched Tommy paint the cookies.

He painted the angels pink and the Christmas trees green. He painted the bells gold and the stars silver.

Then Tommy taped a hook to the top of each cookie.

Willy said, "I am going to paint my Santa and put it on our tree."

"I am going to paint my reindeer too," said Annika. "I like Tommy's ornaments better than the ones in the store."

They are not bad," said Anna. "They are kind of nice."

"Yes," said Tommy. "They are kind of nice. I made a good present after all."

Everyone had more hot chocolate.

This time, Tommy put two marshmallows in each cup.

And when they were done, they all helped clean up the kitchen.

But Tommy wrapped his Christmas present for Mother and Father by himself.


End file.
